Animal trap



Patented Dec. 22, 1931 THOMAS BOOTH, OF BOISE CITY, IDAHO ANIMAL TRAE La p Y Application filed December 22, 1930. Serial No; 504,129. Y

Y This invention relates to ishing and trap-A ping and more particularly to a trap by means of which fur bearing animals and other animals may be caught and confined f6 while alive. Y

One object of the invention is to provide `a trap of such construction than an animal may be confined in the trapwhen caught, thereby preventing injury to the animal and also 10 preventing its fur from being damaged and its value as fur reduced.

Another object of the invention is to so form the trap that an animal may enter the j body portion thereof from either end and doors for closing the open ends of the body released so that they may move to a closed position when the animal attracted by the bait has entered the trap. l

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for releasably securing Vthe doors in an opened position'until a trig-V ger carrying the bait, and disposed within thetrap, is moved to release the door securing means and also provide means serving to yieldably resistmovement of theV doors to an :open position and quickly move them towards a closed posit-ion when released.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trap of the confiningtype having a body portion of such construction thaty an animal may easily see into the body through the walls thereof, thereby increasing likelihood of a timid or suspicious animal entering the trap. n The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the improved trap with the doors closed,

F 1g. 2 is `a transverse sectional vievs7V 40 through the trap, Y

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the doors secured in an opened position, and

F 1g. 4 is a sectional view taken through the trap along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

This improved trap of the confining type has av bottom 1 which maybe formed ot metal or of any other desired material. The top and side walls of the trap are .formed from a sheet .of wire mesh 2, thereby defining a top Sand side walls 4 and rwhichare formed integral Vwith `each other. i l The top.:

has v been shown curvedk transversely andV merging into the side walls, but it is to be understood that the strip of wire could be bent.

to form aflat top. In order to close the open ends of the body, there have been provided doors 6 which are formed of strong sheet metal and are of theproper size and ,dimensions to close the ends of the body. Ears 7 project from the doors near the lower ends thereof and these, ears project outwardly be. yond the side wall 4 and overlap brackets 8,

tov whichthey are pivotally'connected by bolts or equivalent fasteners 9. A number of bolt receiving openings may beformed in the ears in order to permit thedoorsto be ad` justed if found necessary. The brackets 8y to which the doors are pivotally connected extend vertically at'` ends of the wall 4.and neartheir lower ends are formed with arms 10 which extend transversely vfrom the brackets and are secured against an edge face of the bottom `below the wall 4 by nails, screws or equivalentffasteners 11. Inorderto'releasably secure the doors in Vin an ear or. lip 16 extending upwardly from a trigger 17 which carriesa plate 18 having an open position, there has been-provided Y Va latch, the base s a tongue 19 struck` therefrom so that bait 2OV ofgafsuitable lcharacter maybe held upon the plate.` flange 21 which extends down` wardly from-a side `of the trigger is pivoted to an upstanding ear of bearing 4bracket 22 thereby pivotally mountingthe trigger so` that it may be setasshown in Fig.: -3 and pressed ldownwardly when an animal at-` tempts tofremove or eat the bait 20,*thereby drawing the pin inwardly until its outer free end is moved 23 formed at the free rear r This rod has its other end formed with a endl of arod 24.

hookY 2.5 engaged through an openingiformed in a yoke 26 connecting the doors and it should be noted that the rod is bent so that it is curved longitudinally as shown Vin Fig. 2 and may-'be disposed in the position Vshown in Fig.'Y 3 and the trap is set. Y the rear wall to form a bearing forthefrod when: in a set position.

l from 'jumping out through the open of the-body Apbracing rod or wire 28 connects "the upper portions of the doors and overlies the rod 24 when the doors are closed in order to retain this rod 5in thev position shown `in ings to receive'tlierod 24 and hook 25 thereoffand "ts otherend is secured againstthe edge of ythe bottom below tlie wall15. The

rubber band is-otv such length that it will be stretched and placed under ltension when the by th'e doors and they rare released'.

` soV desired," abutments doors .areV niove'd to anopen position and its elasticitywill cause it to exert pull and Aquickly-'m'ove the doors to a closedfposition when A strip 30 has been secured upon thefloor close'to vthe wall with itsends projecting 'from the bottom at the'open ends ot' the body, thereby providing abutments to be engaged thereo.- This bar or strip 30^may be countersunk 1in the bottom in `order to eliminate space between the'bottoin ofthe doors. It will also be obvious that it p formed integral with thebottom and projecting `*from 'the .ends thereot'may take the place of the abutments formed by? the' extended Vends Vof the strip 30. VVhenthis Vimproved trap is in use, it is set u'ponthe ground land the doors areipswung `toan open position by grasping the yoke 2eVV and drawing the same upwardly until the doors Yare in thepositio'n'shownin Fig. 3. The retainer rod -j24t extends downwardly Aacross the bearing block 27 bil1j23 is' disposed againsttlie outerfside face of'thefarrn l?) of 'the latch. The triggerjis Y ythen raised'vfrom theposition shown inFig.

l to Athat off Fig. 3 and kthis will cause the in lfto movev outwardly and dispose its 're'e fend over vth'ejbill of vthe retainer rod. Therefore the` retainer vrod willbe heldin ythe" position shown in( Fig; V3 "and 'the-doors.

V"will rein-ain open.

out of engagement with aibillA hold the doors vropen when,

A block 27 issecured'against v damaged.

vinto and out of a closed position, a

limited closing movementA body, and the lower edgesY @and its hook or,`

VWhen an animal approachesfthe trap, it will be able to-easilyvsee and smell the bait as the body is open at its ends and is formed of wire. The animal enters thetrap from either end and upon attempting to remove the. bait or eat it while still upon theplate V18, the plate and Vtrigger will nbe pressed downwardly, thereby Vretracting the pin 'l5 and releasing the retainer rod. .When this f pull upon tlie'yoke andV movethe doors to- `wards a closed position.. The pull exerted by happenstlie elasticity of the band29l will the elastic band and the `'weight of the Vdoors am yoke will cause the doors to close very rapidly, thereby preventing the animal from leaping out of the trap and Vcontining it in the trap.

ln view ofthe fact that the animalV isconfined within the trap and not caught by awS, it will not be injured nor. will its :fur be The owner of the tra-p kill the animalwhile Vconfined in the trap and may then raise 'tliefdoors to remove the dead animal and reset the trap.l Ttlso desired f 90.1 Y

the animal may beremoved, while alive, from the trap and then killed, or kept alive.V

`What is claimed is: l' i l. A confining trap comprising .a body open at its ends and having a (bottom, a top'V and side walls, doors for the open ends. of said bodyniounted for swingingmovement yoke connecting said doors, a retainer earriedby said yoke, anda latch to engage said retainer and releasably secure the vdoors open having a trigger disposed'within thebody an-dL carryf` ing bait holding means. f n y 2. Afoonining `tra-p comprising ,a body open at its ends, doors for closing'the `open ends of saidbody pivotally mountedjadjacent one side oft-he body a yokeconfnecting said doors and extending longitudinally ofthc inthe'body, va retainerjrod loosely engaged with. said yokezgand. extending Atransverselyof the body intermediate the endsthereof for engagement byV said latch when the doorsare open, and means tourge the doors towards a closed position when the latchV is moved to release said retainer rod.

3. A confining-trap comprising a -body openat its ends, doors to close the open ends of the 'body pivotally mounted. at one side thereof, a yoke connecting said doors and rextending longitudinally of the body at theopsov can easily alatcli having artrigger disposed withposite side thereof when the doors are closed, o' f a latch having a triggerdisposed within said Y body, a retainer carried bysaid yokeand extending transversely of saidrbodyfitor. engagement by said openedto releasably latch when the doors are holdthe doorsjopen, andv f anelastic element Isecured to the yoke andi, I

body and placed. Vunder tension when the doors are swungv 'upwardly to anjopeny position, whereby the elastic element i may serve-Gto move the doors to a closed position when the retainer is released from said latch.

A. A confining trap comprising a body open at its ends and having a bottom and a top and side walls, doors for closing the open Iends of said body mounted for swinging movement into and out ofa closed position, a yoke extending longitudinally of said body externally thereof and having its ends secured to said doors, a latch carried by said bottom with a portion disposed externally of the body and a trigger within the body, a retainer rodloosely engaged with said yoke and extending transversely of the body externally thereof for engagement by the outer portion .of said latch to releasably retain the doors in an open position, and an elastic strap having one end secured to said bottom and its other end disposed about said yokel and engaged with said retainer rod, said elastic strap being placed under tension when the doors are moved to an opened position and serving to draw the doors towards a closed position when the latch is moved tovrelease the retainer rod.

5. A confining trap comprising a bodyV open at its ends and having a bottom and side walls and a top wall, bearing brackets carried by said bottom at opposite ends of at one end, a bearingV bracket carried the basestrip, a trigger pivoted to said bearing bracket, an ear adjacent the pivoted end of said trigger,-a pin loosely connected with s said ear and having its free endportion slidably engaged through said arm and adaptedl oor in an open position, and a bait holder cary to engage said retainer rod to hold the ried by the free end portion of said trigger whereby the trigger may be moved to draw upon said pin and release said retainer. rod" for closing of the door.

8. A confining trap comprising a body.

open at its ends, doors to close the open ends of said bodyl pivotally mounted and con-- nected to move simultaneously into open and THOMAS' BOOTH. y [1.. a]

one side edge thereof, doors pivoted to said brackets and movable vertically into and out of position to close the open ends of the body, a yoke connecting said doors, a retainer rod engaged with said yoke and having a bill at i its free end, and a latch consisting of a base secured upon said bottom and projecting outwardly through one side wall of the body,

an upstanding arm at the outer end of said base, a trigger pivotally connected with said base and extending inwardly of said body, and a pin loosely connected with said trigger and extending outwardlyV therefrom with its free end portion slidably engaged through the arm at the outer end of the base 1 and adapted to engage the bill of said retaincr rod Vand releasably secure the doors in an open position.

6.V A coniining trap comprising a body open at its ends, doors to close the open ends of said body pivotally mounted at` one side of the body, a yoke connecting said doors at the other side of the body, a bracing rod connecting said doors, a retainer rod engagedV with said yoke intermediate the ends thereof and extending across the body beneath said bracing rod, and a latch to engage said vretainer rod and releasably secure the doors in an opposite position carried by said body and having a trigger disposed within the body.

7. A confining trap comprising a body, a 5

door for said body, a retainer rod connected with said door, and a latch to releasably secure the door in an open position havinga Y base strip formed with an upstanding arm" whereof I aiiix my signature.`

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